All my life in school we would learn about “African American history” but only during February. I can’t seem to understand why we need a month to be able to learn about our people’s culture and history. For many of us black history begins with enslavement. But slavery is not our history, our history was interrupted. I feel my school teaches me the same topics every year for a month and then moves onto all these “great inventions” by white people.

For example the lightbulb. We are told that a white man by the name of Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. If you were to look it up it would give you a list of three names for the inventors of the light bulb. The names are Joseph Swan, Thomas Edison, and Hiram Maxim. But in reality the light bulb wouldn’t be possible with out a black man named Lewis Latimer. Also Lewis Latimer drafted the drawings that caused Alexander Graham Bell to receive a patent for the telephone.

George Carruthers Physicist and inventor George Carruthersbuilt his first telescope at age 10, and has spent the rest of his life making important contributions to the study of outer space. Carruthers has developed ways to use ultraviolet imaging in order to view images in deep space that were previously impossible to see. In 1972, Carruthers invented the “Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph,” the first moon-based observatory. It was used in the Apollo 16 mission. Then, in 1986, one of his inventions captured an image of Hailey’s Comet—the first time a comet had ever been pictured from space.

Christina Jenkins. She is the woman who invented the sew in weave technique. I just wanted to say something quick about her because you sisters know of Marilyn Monroe but not her so I’m dropping some knowledge on you. There are many other black people that should be celebrated by people not only because of what they did but because of all the many obstacles they have faced just for being black. I feel there is an importance of being taught the many contributions made in the world by brilliant black people every month. Not only should all these amazing people be praised but they should also be inspiring to people. These are our phenomenal black self-creators and we must take a shine of them all the time. So you can keep your month because I celebrate black history everyday.